UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of high-energy blunt trauma, age and gender of patients, severity of regional and multiple injury, ventilation time, length of stay in intensive care unit and in-hospital stay, in-hospital complications, and treatment outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on 159 patients with severe multiple injuries, meeting inclusion criteria, were collected prospectively and evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of multiple trauma patients was 43.9+/-1.4 years; males were injured 2.5 times more often than females (P<0.001). More than half (66.7%) of patients were 17-64-year-old males. Majority (83%) of all patients were injured in motor vehicle crashes, and 52.2% of these patients were pedestrians. The mean Injury Severity Score was 29.5+/-0.8, and severe (Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 and more) injuries of extremities, head, and chest made up 69.1% of all injuries. The mean ventilation time, mean length of stay in intensive care unit, and mean in-hospital stay were 5.5+/-0.7, 7.0+/-0.8, and 23.6+/-1.6 days, respectively. Acute lung complications were the most common (25.2%). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome developed in 7.5% of patients, and sepsis in 3.8% of patients. More than one-fifth (20.8%) of polytrauma patients died. CONCLUSIONS: Working-age male pedestrians (17-64 years old) made up two-thirds of all polytrauma patients. Severe injuries of extremities, head, and chest were present in 69.1% of all cases. Lung complications were the most common.
UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of high-energy blunt trauma, age and gender of patients, severity of regional and multiple injury, ventilation time, length of stay in intensive care unit and in-hospital stay, in-hospital complications, and treatment outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on 159 patients with severe multiple injuries, meeting inclusion criteria, were collected prospectively and evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of multiple traumapatients was 43.9+/-1.4 years; males were injured 2.5 times more often than females (P<0.001). More than half (66.7%) of patients were 17-64-year-old males. Majority (83%) of all patients were injured in motor vehicle crashes, and 52.2% of these patients were pedestrians. The mean Injury Severity Score was 29.5+/-0.8, and severe (Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 and more) injuries of extremities, head, and chest made up 69.1% of all injuries. The mean ventilation time, mean length of stay in intensive care unit, and mean in-hospital stay were 5.5+/-0.7, 7.0+/-0.8, and 23.6+/-1.6 days, respectively. Acute lung complications were the most common (25.2%). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome developed in 7.5% of patients, and sepsis in 3.8% of patients. More than one-fifth (20.8%) of polytraumapatients died. CONCLUSIONS: Working-age male pedestrians (17-64 years old) made up two-thirds of all polytraumapatients. Severe injuries of extremities, head, and chest were present in 69.1% of all cases. Lung complications were the most common.